NORTHLONDON TODAY | NEWS | McKinnon’s case goes to the Lords after pleas from hacker’s mother | 2011

McKinnon’s case goes to the Lords after pleas from hacker’s mother

Wednesday, 16 March 2011

By Mary McConnell

MEMBERS of the House of Lords are to debate the future of Gary McKinnon, the computer hacker who is facing extradition to the US.

Mr McKinnon, who is autistic, has admitted hacking into almost 100 American military computers in 2001 and 2002 but says he was looking for proof of the existence of UFOs.

The 45-year-old from Palmers Green, who
suffers from Asperger syndrome, faces up to 60 years in jail if he is convicted but says sending him to the US would breach his human rights.

Extradition proceedings were halted by the Home Secretary Theresa May last year, but the case now appears to be stuck in a stalemate.

Mrs May has asked for a new assessment of
Mr McKinnon by two government-appointed
psychiatrists, but Mr McKinnon’s lawyers say the two psychiatrists have no particular expertise in Asperger’s and have asked for an alternative expert to carry out the assessment.

Now Lord Maginnis of Drumglass has called for a debate in the House of Lords to discuss Mr McKinnon’s future, after Gary’s mother Janis Sharp personally appealed to every member of both houses of parliament for help. The debate has now been scheduled for March 23 at 3pm.

Mrs Sharp said: “I think it is excellent news.

I wrote to all the Lords and the MPs explaining Gary’s situation. So many people have responded, so I am really pleased. We just want the Home Secretary to listen to what we are saying.”

Enfield Southgate MP David Burrowes met Mrs Sharp yesterday and has pledged to write again to Mrs May in a bid to break the deadlock.

Mr Burrowes said: “We are doing all we can to ensure Gary is assessed by a psychiatrist with expertise in autism and particularly Asperger’s.

“I am writing again to the Home Secretary to ask for an appropriate expert assessment to ensure she has the full facts at her disposal when making the decision about his medical condition and the impact of extradition.”

via northlondon-today.co.uk